MAY mga paramdam na ang OPM icon na si Claire Dela Fuente sa kanyang anak na si Gregorio Angelo de Guzman o Gigo bago tuluyang mamaalam kaninang umaga.
Kinumpirma ni Gigo na namatay sa cardiac arrest ang veteran singer at Jukebox Queen at tinamaan din ito ng COVID-19 kaya naka-confine sa ospital.
“She died from cardiac arrest, believed to be a result of her stress and anxiety. My mom has anxiety, hypertension and diabetes and her tendency to worry, to stress a lot, led her to weaken and in her sleep her heart gave up,” pahayag ni Gigo sa panayam ng ABS-CBN.
Inamin din ng anak ni Claire na nahawa rin siya ng killer virus, “I myself am COVID-positive but showing no symptoms that’s why I cannot be beside her.”
Kuwento pa ni Gigo, nakausap pa raw niya ang ina kahapon, “Yesterday, she was fine, I got to speak to her. Got to argue with her one last time, because she gave me the wrong address and she didn’t tell me she was transferred to another hospital. She made me order food for her.
“All the while, she kept worrying about me and my symptoms. I told her not to worry about me because she’s the one who needs, who is more at risk,” lahad ni Gigo.
Ngayong wala na ang ina, bigla niya raw naalala ang mga huling sandali na magkasama pa sila sa bahay bago nga ito tamaan ng COVID, “There were signs and moments na like, for example, she asked me to stay with her, beside her for the last night she spend here at the house before she has to go to the ER. She wanted company.
“I took it as a sign na they knew in a way, they were already telling me na, they always love me… ‘Anak, ikaw na bahala okay,” aniya pa.
Samantala, wala raw magaganap na physical wake para sa labi ng OPM legend ngunit plano nilang virtual lamay para sa lahat ng nagmamahal sa kanyang ina.
Sumikat si Claire dela Fuente noong late 1970s nang dahil sa jukebox hit niyang “Sayang” na itinuturing na ngayong classic sa mundo ng OPM.
Tinawag din siyang “The Karen Carpenter of the Philippines” dahil halos magkatunog ang boses nila ng namayapa na ring international singer.
Sa kanyang mga concert, hindi mawawala ang mga kanya ni Karen Carpenter na talagang nire-request ng kanyang mga tagasuporta.
Ang kauna-unahan niyang album na ni-release noong 1977 ang isa sa pinakamatagumpay noon sa Philippine recording industry.
Kasunod nito, pitong album pa ang kanyang nai-record. Bukod sa phenomenal hit na “Sayang”, ilan pa sa pinasikat niyang kanta ay ang “Minsan-Minsan” at “Nakaw Na Pag-ibig”.
Binansagan din siyang Queen of Tagalog Songs kasabay ni Rico J. Puno na tinawag namang King of Tagalog Songs. Isa rin siya sa itinuturing na original “Jukebox Queen” kasama sina Imelda Papin, Eva Eugenio at Didith Reyes.
Kamakailan lamang ay naging laman ng balita si Claire nang ipagtanggol niya ang anak na si Gregorio de Guzman na nadamay kontrobersyal na pagkamatay ng flight attendant na si Christine Dacera.